A closet readers take on: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Erotica, YA Fiction & Audiobooks

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

INTERVIEW: Rachel Vincent's ALPHA Blog Tour & Contest



Title: ALPHA (Shifters Book 6)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release Date: October 1, 2010
Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Mira
Language: English
ISBN-10: 077832818X
ISBN-13: 978-0778328186






“YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE FAYTHE...

The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc, and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder, and treason. Yeah, we've been busy. But now it's time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother's death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.

It's not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I'm heading for a final showdown that can--that will--change everything forever. A showdown I'm not sure I'm ready for. But life never waits until you're ready.”




Today, I am pleased to bring you a special guest- amazing talented author Rachel Vincent! She has graciously agreed to a short interview right here on Nice Girls in promotion of her newest release ALPHA, the final book in her Shifters Series.

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Q: When writing the Shifters Series, did you plot book to book, or the whole series right from the beginning?

Rachel: I had an idea where the series was going by the time I'd finished Rogue, but I plotted each book's individual plot separately.

Q: There is a serious fan base for both Team Marc and Team Jace, and a lot of debate about the two sides on your discussion group. Did you ever think the love triangle would cause as much debate as it has, and does that debate bother you?

Rachel: No, the debate thrills me. If the readers weren't torn about Faythe's decision, that would mean I hadn't written the scenario (or the characters) well enough. The fact that there's so much argument tells me that Faythe's trouble deciding makes sense.

Q: When creating the character Jace, did you intend or ever envision him to have such a following?

Rachel: I didn't intend much of anything when i wrote Stray. I didn't even know if it would get published. But I knew I liked Jace. And Ethan. And I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one. :)

Q: If Faythe, Marc & Jace each had an individual theme song, what would they be and why?

Rachel:
Faythe's would definitely be "I'm Just A Girl" by No Doubt

Marc's might be Citizen Soldier

Jace is harder to pin down. He's light hearted, but beneath that, he has some serious problems. I'm not sure about that one.

Q: Now that the Shifter Series has basically come to a close, how do you feel about completing you first published series?

Rachel: It's a very bittersweet moment for me. I love the series and the characters, and it's hard to say goodbye to them. But I think the series is ending well, and hopefully on a high note. So I take pride in that.


Thanks Rachel, for taking the time to stop-by and answer a few questions! Congratulation on ALPHA's release, the Shifters Series was truly an exhilarating ride. Can't wait to see what else you have up you sleeve.


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Rachel also picked out a special teaser quote from ALPHA just for Nice Girls:

"Besides, this mouth was made for shouting the truth and demanding justice. Among other things..." -From Alpha, pg 222


The official releases date for ALPHA was October 1st, and is available for purchase at you local book stores and online book retailers. You can check out my review of ALPHA here.

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SHIFTER SERIES CONTEST !!!!!

In honor of the release of ALPHA, I have decided to giveaway a Shifter Series tote bag made by yours truly. I also sent a similar tote to Rachel to celebrate the conclusion of this amazing series. Enter below for the chance to win one for yourself. Contest starts today and closes Saturday, October 16, 2010 at midnight. The winners name will be posted here on my blog on Monday, October 18, 2010. The winner will have FIVE days to respond & claim their prize!



HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
  • In the blue contest entry box below, please leave your first name/last initial and e-mail address.
  • Then name a song that best describes any of Rachel Vincent's Shifters characters! (I'd pick Linkin Park's Somewhere I Belong for Jace or The Fray's Where the Story Ends as a combo for Marc & Faythe!!) Good for 1 point.
  • Link contest via Twitter/Facebook/Blog 1 point for each link provided.
  • Follow this blog for bonus 2 points! (button located on right-hand side)
RULES AND LEGAL DISCLAIMERS:
  • I will use random.org to choose the winner.
  • Contest is open to readers in the USA only.
  • You have FIVE days from the day I post the winners name to claim your prize by sending your name/mailing address to me. Failure to contact me result in forfeit of your prize. At that time, I will choose either to re-award the prize to another entrant or not.
  • These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.
  • Contest is void where prohibited.
  • By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry.
  • Please allow 30 days to receive your prize before e-mailing me.

(Scroll down in the blue box to fill in contest information)




Last but not least, I want to thank Claire and Nikki, my book buddies for lending a hand with this blog post. Don't know what I'd do without you girls. I you both! If you get a chance, take a minute to check out their book review blogs!





Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Rachel Vincent's ALPHA Trailer

So this is what all of the Shifter fans have been waiting for. The final chapter in Faythe's story. There are so many questions to be answered in this book. We've waited all year for Alpha, and I promise you won't be let down. Grab your box of tissue for this one readers, it will turn your world upside down. Check out my review for more details.




Title: ALPHA (Shifters Book 6)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release Date: October 1, 2010
Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Mira
Language: English
ISBN-10: 077832818X
ISBN-13: 978-0778328186


YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE FAYTHE...

"The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc, and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder, and treason. Yeah, we've been busy. But now it's time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother's death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council. It's not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I'm heading for a final showdown that can--that will--change everything forever. A showdown I'm not sure I'm ready for. But life never waits until you're ready."


Please come back on October 2, 2010 for my interview with Rachel Vincent and a Shifters giveaway!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

REVIEW: Julie Kagawa IRON KING



Author: Julie Kagawa
Title: Iron King
Release Date: February 1, 2010
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN-10: 0373210086
ISBN-13: 978-0373210084



My Ratings


Plot: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Originality of Plot: 4/5
Characters Development: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Cover Art: 5/5

Overall: 31/35 = 88%


Synopsis

MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY— ONE SHE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED…

“Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.”


My Review

Meghan Chase, is the quiet girl that no one ever notices. She doesn’t have the right clothes, she lives on a farm, and her only friend is her prankster neighbor, Robbie. That is until her 16th birthday, when all hell breaks loose. Her little brother is kidnapped, and she has to leave her life behind to save him.

Iron King brought to my mind hours watch Labyrinth and the Wizard of Oz and reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Alice and Wonderland as a child. While I saw correlations between those stories and Iron King, I found this book has a very fresh take on this type of story. I felt that it has great mix of fae mythology, classical literature, steam punk, and modern YA.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Meghan and Puck. Puck seemed to be willing to do what ever it takes to help Meghan get her brother back, even if that means defying his king. Meghan and Ash are amazing together, also. Ash tried so hard to keep distance between he and Meghan, but fate just kept pushing them back together. I wasn’t sure if I like Ash in the beginning of the story, but once everything was said and done he carved a place in my icy heart.

I did feel like the beginning of this book was a bit slow. I actually put the book down for a few days, before I picked it back up again. I just wanted to jump into the meat of the story, but instead I feel that their was to much introduction into Meghan’s human life. Once, we get into the fae world I flew through the book.

I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed Iron King, once I really got deep into the story. I usually have a hard time getting into stories that are almost fully based in fictitious worlds. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a new intriguing world to escape into for a few hours.

Books in this Series




Websites

Julie Kagawa's Website
Julie Kagawa's Blog



Book Trailer